EPISODE 1: WHY A BULGARIAN SURNAME?

EPISODE 1  

My name is Grace Ангелов and I am a Nigerian. Relax and don't be confused. You must be wondering why I have a Bulgarian name and I said I am a Nigerian? Well, I have an history with everything and reasons for everything but am not complicated, am just interesting. This is my story but I won’t be telling you myself but someone else will. 

          "Angelov!" A female admission screening officer asked Grace when she went for her final screening programme into the university at ART DRIVE UNIVERSITY. ADU was located at western part of Nigerian, Lagos State and it was a school for artist and those interested in art. 

          "Am sorry I have to divert my attention to your surname. What is...? I mean why is your name Angelov and there is Ангелов written in bracket? I would have thought you are not a Nigerian but you look so much like a Nigerian except for your curly short hair  and plus u look like an Igbo girl". Mrs Chineye stared and tried to process Grace's looks and her name.

    Grace was too shy to respond because she knew how complicated it was explaining things to Mrs Chineye even though she wondered if it was her business and why she was too interested even though she is her friend's (Stephanie's) aunt , but what made her start explaining herself was when she (Mrs Chineye) asked, "Ihe ị na-ekwu okwu Igbo" 

          "Am sorry ma, I do not understand" Grace replied looking as confused as she was when she found out that her mother gave her a middle name which is "Fejiro". Grace happened to be an Urhobo girl from Ughelli North, Delta State but she stayed more than half of her life in Lagos.

"I mean, do u speak Igbo? Anyways, it is obvious that you don’t speak" Mrs Chineye looked at the slip again and read about her hometown and state of origin? "You are from Delta State, how come?" She opened her eyes so wide and stared at Grace until she (Grace) finally let words out of her mouth.

          Grace laughed a little and said, "Ma'am, Yes I am from Delta State and my surname is Angelov because my mother always told me that that was my father's name and he was a Bulgarian..."

"Was?" Mrs Chineye said

          "Yes, was" Grace continued. "According to her, He is dead. I never met him though but she said that he ran away from her when she was pregnant with me but a month plus after my birth, he came back to us with the story that he had cancer. He apologised to my mum and my mum forgave him but my mum said he died 2 month after my birth. So that's why I still have his surname"

          "But are you not supposed to be from a hometown in Bulgaria and not from Delta State? Oh! Am asking too much, never mind dear." Mrs Chineye was a very inquisitive person. She wanted to know more of everything. People said her inquisitiveness made her fat.

"No! No! We can talk about it. I think I feel comfortable telling you about me right now because I always like to have someone to have my back anywhere I find myself and since you are my best friend’s aunt, there is no problem letting you know." Grace sat upright and rested her hands on Mrs Chineye's desk and continued. She was already getting too comfortable. "So, my mum and my dad knew each other for a short period of time before my mum got pregnant and my mum knew less of my dad, all she knew was his surname and she made sure I answered that to keep the memories of my father. So i guess that information clears the air" She smiled and asked, "Do I have to bring more copies of my passport?"

"No! You've submitted enough already" Mrs Chineye smiled back and stood up, "Let me go to my car to get the stamp. I think I left it there but we have to go out together because it is against the rules of the school to let any student stay in the office while authorities are out".

"Okay ma, I understand" Grace replied. 

They both left the office. As Mrs Chineye went to get the stamp, Grace stood outside the door of the office and imagines how lucky she is to have Stephanie as her best friend. She had skipped the date for the screening because she needed to stay with her mother in the hospital after a fatal accident her mom had four days ago but Stephanie helped her to reach Mrs Chineye (Her aunt) who fixed the screening for that day. 

          Even though Grace had a scholarship into ADU, she knew she deserved the admission. She decided to apply for scholarship because she knew it will be difficult to pay for her tuition fee. So she worked hard enough to apply and pass the exams which she did. She is creative, innovative and artistic. At the age of 19, she used photography and dancing to make a living for herself. She payed for her WAEC, NECO and JAMB enrollment, payed for the application of scholarship all by herself into ADU and she had been working so hard to pay her mother's hospital bills. All these were coming from a determined girl who didn't want the fact that her mom was poor to get to her.

          "Knock, Knock" Grace knocked at the office door. 

          "Come in if you are Angelov Grace" Mrs Chineye said smiling, "Where did you go? Because I didn't go far but I wondered if you  thought I went home to get the stamp"

          "No ma..." Grace laughed, "I looked for the restroom but I couldn’t find it, so I went to the hall close to the office..."

          "You mean you went all the way to the hall and there is a rest room next to this office?" Mrs Chineye laughed so hard and continued, "You are really a fresher". Grace smiled and sat down.

           Mrs. Chineye stretched her hand and gave Grace her stamped and signed slip to show that she is officially a student of ADU and she congratulated her. 

Grace was so excited and she finally said to herself that she is an official student of ADU which she always dreamed of but  the wide smiles on her face suddenly ceased after she received a call.

WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 2

Did she receive a bad news? Or did she receive a strange news?

Comment what you think happened after or during the call